March 08, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Upward revision of fourth-quarter productivity growth

Productivity in the nonfarm business sector, as measured by output per hour, increased at a revised seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001. A preliminary growth rate of 3.5 percent had been reported last month, based on information available at that time.

[Chart data—TXT]

The change in output in the fourth quarter was revised upward from a decline of 0.4 percent to an increase of 1.2 percent. The change in hours was revised downward slightly from a decrease of 3.7 percent to a decrease of 3.8 percent.

During the third quarter, productivity had increased 1.1 percent, output had decreased 2.3 percent, and hours had declined 3.4 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS Productivity and Costs program. Data are subject to revision. Additional information is available in "Productivity and Costs, Fourth Quarter and Annual Averages, 2001 (revised)," news release USDL 02-123.